Efficacy of different commercial and new inactivated vaccines against ovine enzootic abortion.

The protective efficacy of two inactivated commercial (A, B) and two new inactivated vaccines (M7, QS) against ovine enzootic abortion was determined in two separate experiments in sheep. Vaccine A contained chlamydiae propagated in chicken embryos, adjuvated with Marcol 82, and vaccine B contained chlamydiae cultured in cell monolayers, adjuvated with aluminium hydroxide. For the preparation of the experimental vaccines, Chlamydophila abortus AB7 strain was cultured in McCoy cells and adjuvated with QS-21 (QS) or Montanide ISA 773 (M7). The ewes were vaccinated twice subcutaneously and challenged at 90 days of gestation. Protection was evaluated by clinical, bacteriological and serological examinations, and compared to two control groups: one of infected but not vaccinated ewes, and another of vaccinated but not infected ewes. The experimental vaccines induced considerably better protection than the two commercial ones. The new vaccine M7 especially showed no abortions, a good antibody response, the highest newborn lamb weights and the lowest level of C. abortus shedding at lambing.

Fatal rhino-orbital-cerebral zygomycosis.

Rhinocerebral zygomycosis is usually an aggressive, fulminant and, at times, fatal disease most often affecting poorly controlled diabetics of all ages. We report the case of a 13-month-old white boy, a previously undiagnosed diabetic. He came to our hospital with recurrent epistaxis, decreasing consciousness, and a small visible infection at the inner canthus of the left eye. Initial evaluation revealed that the patient was in diabetic ketoacidosis. Despite aggressive medical and surgical treatment, his condition deteriorated rapidly, including the development of diabetes insipidus, and he died 4 days after admission. At autopsy, he was found to have fungal cerebritis (Rhizopus) with multiple areas of infarction and massive cerebral edema.

Characterization of monoclonal antibodies that recognize common epitopes located on O antigen of lipopolysaccharide of serotypes 1, 9 and 11 of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae.

Seven murine monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against serotype 1 of Actinobacillus (Haemophilus) pleuropneumoniae (reference strain Shope 4074) were produced and characterized. All hybridomas secreting mAbs were reactive with whole-cell antigens from reference strains of serotypes 1, 9 and 11, except for mAb 5D6 that failed to recognized serotype 9. They did not react with other taxonomically related Gram-negative organisms tested. The predominant isotype was immunoglobulin (Ig) M, although IgG2a, IgG2b, and IgG3 were also obtained. The epitopes identified by these mAbs were resistant to proteinase K treatment and boiling in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate and reducing conditions; however, they were sensitive to sodium periodate treatment. Enhanced chemiluminescence-immunodetection assay showed that mAbs could be divided in two groups according to the patterns of immunoreaction observed. Group 1 (mAbs 3E10, 4B7, 9H5 and 11C3) recognized a ladder-like banding profile consistent with the O antigen of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from smooth strains. Group II (mAbs 3B10 and 9H1) recognized a long smear of high molecular weight which ranged from 60 to 200 kDa. The mAbs were tested against 96 field isolates belonging to serotypes 1, 5, 9, 11 and 12, which had previously been classified by a combination of serological techniques based on polyclonal rabbit sera (counterimmunoelectrophoresis, immunodiffusion and coagglutination). The panel of mAbs identified all isolates of serotypes 9 and 11, but only 66% of those belonging to serotype 1. This may suggest the existence of antigenic heterogeneity among isolates of A. pleuropneumoniae serotype 1. These mAbs reacted with epitopes common to serotypes 1, 9 and 11 of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae which were located on the O antigen of LPS.

Efficacy of a variety of disinfectants against Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serotype 1.

The efficacy of 23 disinfectants (including the most commonly used chemical groups) and 6 quaternary ammonium compound based commercial formulations against Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serotype 1 (ATCC 4074) was studied. The organisms were tested in suspension and carrier tests with serum as the organic matter. Chloramine-T, hydrogen peroxide, glutaraldehyde, and mercurochrome alone, and a quaternary ammonium compound formulation containing 10% benzalkonium chloride, 2.5% glutaraldehyde, 6.8% glyoxal, and 6% formaldehyde were effective in all tests, regardless of the presence or absence of organic load. All but 2 of the nonformulated disinfectants (sodium hypochlorite and an iodophor) caused at least a 3-log10 reduction in colony-forming units in the suspension test. However, most of the disinfectants were not as effective in the carrier test as in the suspension test; this difference ranged from a 1- to 5-log10 reduction in colony-forming units. In addition, the presence of serum considerably reduced the disinfectant capacities of most of the compounds tested, particularly in the carrier test. These results indicate the importance of selecting suitable disinfectants for routine use on surfaces contaminated with this organism, especially in the presence of organic matter. Chloramine-T and the aforementioned commercial formulation were also tested directly under field conditions in pig nurseries, confirming their high effectiveness.

Characterization of V factor-dependent organisms of the family Pasteurellaceae isolated from porcine pneumonic lungs in Spain.

116 V factor (NAD)-dependent strains belonging to the family Pasterurellaceae isolated from porcine pneumonic lungs were collected in Spain over a period of 1 yr and studied using 52 biochemical characters. In addition to Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (72 strains), Haemophilus taxon minor group (37 strains) and Taxon D (four strains), other taxon (three strains) were observed. This taxon, provisionally designated as Haemophilus sp. sorbitol+, is closed to A. pleuropneumoniae but differed by some biochemical characteristics. Among A. pleuropneumoniae strains, nine different serotypes were detected, the most frequent being serotypes 4 and 2.

Evaluation of blood-brain barrier permeability and the effect of interferon in mouse glioma model.

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether interferon [IFN] can affect intracerebrally grown glioma and how alteration of the blood-brain barrier [BBB] may influence this effect. An intracerebrally implanted glioma G-26 (G-26) mouse brain-tumor model was developed and used in these studies. Histological characterization of this intracerebrally grown tumor revealed its anaplastic character. The astrocytic origin of G-26 was evidenced by glial fibrillary acidic protein staining and electron microscopic visualization of glial filaments. A study of tumor progression and animal survival showed development of a well defined tumor nodule within approximately seven days after the implantation. The median animal survival time was 27 +/- 3.8 days. The integrity of the blood-brain barrier [BBB] within the tumor was evaluated by the intravenous injection of horseradish peroxidase at days 3, 7, 10 and 20 after brain tumor implant and compared to 'sham' controls. The tumor-induced BBB alteration was progressive from day 3 to day 20. Glioma-26 subcutaneously passed in C57BL/6 mice was also continuously cultured in vitro. Its proliferation was inhibited by homologous mouse interferon alpha/beta [MuIFN alpha/beta] but not by human interferon alpha lymphoblastoid or human interferon beta. The in vivo studies of G-26 glioma treatment with MuIFN alpha/beta were performed using single bolus of IFN in osmotically altered animals or slow IFN infusion through osmotic micro-pumps. The slow infusion of IFN had no effect on animal survival. However, a statistically significant increase in animal survival was observed after single bolus IFN treatment following osmotic BBB alteration.

Viability of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae in frozen pig lung samples and comparison of different methods of direct diagnosis in fresh samples.

A comparative study on different methods of diagnosis of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae from both fresh and frozen pig lungs is described. A total of 196 lung tissues with pneumonic lesions were examined for culture isolation on chocolate blood agar, as well as for antigen detection by means of the coagglutination test, the immunodiffusion test and the indirect ELISA. These samples were subsequently frozen for 1 yr and then they were recultured. A. pleuropneumoniae was recovered from fresh lung specimens in 30 cases (15.3%) and from frozen samples in only two cases (0.9%). Such a different degree of isolation demonstrates that long freezing had an adverse effect on the viability of this organism in lung samples. A pleuropneumoniae detection was positive in 134 samples (68.4%) by at least one of the immunological techniques examined. The indirect ELISA was the most sensitive and specific test, with antigen detected in 125 lungs (63.8%). In comparison with the coagglutination and immunodiffusion tests, the sensitivities of the indirect ELISA were 95.8 and 93.7%, and the specificities were 67.0 and 63.4%, respectively.

Postnatal development of the cystic lung lesion of Down syndrome: suggestion that the cause is reduced formation of peripheral air spaces.

The incidence of small subpleural lung cysts was analyzed for autopsies of 98 patients with Down syndrome (DS): 9 fetuses or stillborns and 89 liveborns. Such cysts were not seen in any of the fetuses or stillborn infants; they were identified in 18 (20%) liveborn DS patients but were present in only 1 of 11 DS patients who survived less than 4 weeks. Such cysts were not found in lungs of 61 non-Down patients with ostium atrioventricular commune (AVC), the most frequent congenital cardiac lesion of DS, or in those of 60 non-DS patients with bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Although subpleural lung cysts were more frequent in DS patients with than in those without congenital heart disease, the difference in incidence of such cysts between 25 liveborn DS patients with AVC and 61 non-DS patients with AVC was highly significant (chi 2 - 19.46, P less than .001). The data suggest that the lung cysts in DS are an intrinsic, albeit not invariant, feature of the disease and not necessarily secondary to congenital heart disease or sequelae thereof. We suggest that they may result from reduced postnatal production of peripheral small air passages and alveoli, which in turn may reflect the slow rate of cell proliferation that appears to be a general feature of DS.

Duplication of the hepatopancreatic bud presenting as pyloric stenosis.

Duplication of systemic organs is not a frequent finding. We report the occurrence of duplication of the hepatopancreatic bud with presence of mature hepatic and pancreatic tissue in a nine-day-old girl who presented with intestinal obstruction mimicking infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis.

Multicentric osteolysis: report of the second successful renal transplant.

A patient with end stage renal disease due to sporadic idiopathic multicentric osteolysis (type 3 multicentric osteolysis) is described. His pre-transplant course was similar to those of previously described patients, while his post-transplant course has been uncomplicated. The pathology and pathogenesis of the nephropathy of sporadic idiopathic multicentric osteolysis is not well characterized. The short term outcome of renal transplantation is excellent in our patient and in the other similar case known to have been transplanted.